Module 5.

Data Communication and Networks

Communication Principles: Characteristics of

Transmission Media

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Why Learn About Communications
and Networks?
• Need to access data wherever it resides
– Fast, reliable communications
– Exchange messages
– Upload/download data and software
– Route business transactions
– Connect to remote databases
– Send output to printers

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 Data Communication
• What is Data Communications?
– is the exchange of data between two devices via some form of
transmission medium such as wire cable.
• An effective data communications has 3 characteristics:
– Delivery
• Correct destination
• Receive by the intended device or user
– Accuracy
• Deliver data accurately
• Altered data unusable
– Timeliness
• Deliver data in a timely manner
• Real time transmission – deliver data as they are produced, in
the same order that they are produced, without delay.
Components of a Data Comm. Protocol- set of rules
that governs data
System
Communication. Without
Message – information(data) protocol it may connected
To be communicated. E.g.: but not communicate.
Text, numbers, sound, or video,
Or any combination of these.

Medium - physical
Sender - device path by which a Receiver - device
that sends the message travel. E.g.: that receives the
message. E.g.: twisted pair, coaxial message. E.g.:
Computer, cable, fiber optic cable, Computer,
Workstation, or radio waves Workstation,
Telephone handset, (terrestrial or satellite Telephone handset,
TV, and so on. microwave) TV, and so on.
 NETWORKS

• IS a set of devices (nodes) connected by

communication links. Node (computer,
printer, or any other device capable of
sending and/or receiving data generated by
other nodes on the network)
• Categorized by geographic scope: LANs,
MANs, WANs
 Overview of Communications
• Telecommunications: Electronic
transmission of signals for communications
– Telephone, radio, and television
• Communications can be synchronous or
asynchronous
– Synchronous communications: receiver gets
message instantaneously
– Asynchronous communications: receiver gets
message after some delay

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 Communication Systems
• Process describing transfer of information, data,
instructions between one or more systems through
some media
– Examples
• people, computers, cell phones, etc.
• Computer communication systems
• Signals passing through the communication channel
can be Digital, or analog
– Analog signals: continuous electrical waves
– Digital signals: individual electrical pulses (bits)
• Receivers and transmitters: desktop computers,
mainframe computers, etc.
Communication Systems
Basic Communications Channel Characteristics

• Communication channels can be classified

as:
– Simplex channel: transmits data in only one
direction
– Half-duplex channel: transmits data in either
direction, but not simultaneously
– Full-duplex channel: permits data
transmission in both directions at the same time

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 Communications Media
• Guided transmission media: communications signals
guided along a solid medium
– the waves are guided along a physical path;
• examples of guided media include phone lines
• Wireless media: communications signal broadcast
over airwaves as a form of electromagnetic radiation.
– Wireless transmission media are used when it is
inconvenient, impractical, or impossible to
install wires and cables.

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 Physical Transmission Media
• A tangible media
– Examples: Twisted-pair cable, coaxial cable, Fiber-
optics, etc.
• Twisted-pair cable:
– One or more twisted wires bundled together (why?)
– Made of copper
• Coax-Cable:
– Consists of single copper wire surrounded by three
layers of insulating and metal materials
– Typically used for cable TV
• Fiber-optics:
– Strands of glass or plastic used to transmit light
– Very high capacity, low noise, small size, less
suitable to natural disturbances
 Physical Transmission Media

twisted-pair cable twisted-pair wire

woven or
braided metal copper wire

plastic outer insulating

coating material

optical fiber
core

glass cladding

protective
coating
 Wireless Transmission Media
• Broadcast Radio
– Distribute signals through the air over long
distance
– Uses an antenna
– Typically for stationary locations
– Can be short range
• Cellular Radio
– A form of broadcast radio used for mobile
communication
– High frequency radio waves to transmit
voice or data
– Utilizes frequency-reuse
 Wireless Transmission Media
• Microwaves
– Radio waves providing high speed transmission
– They are point-to-point (can’t be obstructed)
– Used for satellite communication
e.g. deserts, lakes, or to communicate with a satellite
• Infrared (IR)
– Wireless transmission media that sends signals
using infrared light- waves –
– IR is an alternative to short-
range broadcast
radio communications such
as Bluetooth
 Wi-Fi
• 802.11
– Standard for wireless LAN
– Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) is used to describe
that the device is in 802.11 family or standards
– Typically used for long range (300-1000 feet)
– Variations include: .11 (1-2 Mbps); .11a (up to
54 Mbps); .11b (up to 11 Mbps); .11g (54
Mbps and higher
Physical Transmission Media

Wireless channel
capacity:
 Networks
• Collection of computers and devices connected together
• Used to transfer information or files, share resources, etc.
• What is the largest network?
• Characterized based on their geographical coverage,
speed, capacities
• Networks are categorized based on the following
characteristics:
– Network coverage: LAN, MAN, WAN
– Network topologies: how the computers are connected
together
– Network technologies
– Network architecture
 Network coverage
• Local Area Networks:
– Used for small networks (school, home, office)
– Examples and configurations:
• Wireless LAN or Switched LAN
• ATM LAN (A wide area protocol featuring high data rates.
ATM is suitable for transferring text, audio, and video data.),
Frame Ethernet LAN
• Peer-2-PEER: connecting several computers together (<10)
• Client/Server: The serves shares its resources between
different clients
• Metropolitan Area Network
– Backbone network connecting all LANs (backbone is a central
conduit designed to transfer network traffic at high speeds)
– Can cover a city or the entire country
• Wide Area Network
– Typically between cities and countries
– Technology:
• Circuit Switch, Packet Switch, Frame Relay, ATM
– Examples:
• Internet P2P: Networks with the same network software can
be connected together (Napster)
 LAN v.s WAN
LAN - Local Area Network a group of
computers connected within a building or
a campus (Example of LAN may consist
of computers located on a single floor or a
building or it might link all the computers
in a small company.

WAN - A network consisting

of computers of LAN's
connected across a distance
WAN can cover small to
large distances, using
different topologies such as
telephone lines, fiber optic
cabling, satellite
transmissions and
microwave transmissions.
Guided Transmission Media Types

Table 4.1: Guided Transmission Media Types

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Guided Transmission Media Types
(continued)

Table 4.2: Wireless Technologies

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Telecommunications Hardware
• Typical telephone line only
accommodates an analog signal
(continuous, curving signal)
• Computers generate a digital signal
representing bits
• Modem: device that translates data from
digital to analog and analog to digital

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Telecommunications Hardware
(continued)

Figure 4.6: How a Modem Works

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 Telecommunications Hardware
(continued)
• Multiplexer: device that encodes data
from two or more data sources onto a
single communications channel
– Reduces number of communications channels
needed
– Lowers telecommunications costs
• Front-end processors: special-purpose
computers that manage communications
serving hundreds or even thousands of
users 25
A multiplexer selects from multiple input
signals and transmits one or more output
signals.

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 Services
• Telecommunications carriers organize
communications channels, networks,
hardware, software, people, and business
procedures to provide valuable
communications services

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Wireless Telecommunications
• All major long-distance carriers offer
wireless telecommunications services
– Phone calls or Internet access
• Wireless data communications will be
broadly adopted when providers can
offer business users enough bandwidth
and connectivity so that they use
wireless as their sole connection
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 Networks and Distributed
Processing
• Computer network: communications
media, devices, and software needed to
connect two or more computer systems
and/or devices
• Network nodes: computers and devices
on the networks

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 Network Types
• Personal area network (PAN)
• Local area network (LAN)
• Metropolitan area network (MAN)
• Wide area network (WAN)
• International networks
• Mesh networking

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PAN – Personal Area Network
MAN – Metropolitan Area Network
WAN – Wide Area Network
Mesh Network
Communications Software and
Protocols (continued)

Table 4.4: Common Telecommunications Protocols

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 Wireless Communications
Protocols
• Wi-Fi
• WiMAX
• Smart antenna technology
• Ultra Wideband (UWB)
• 3G wireless communication
• 4G wireless communications

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Wireless Communications
Protocols (continued)

Table 6.14: Wi-Fi Network

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 Wireless Communications Protocols
(continued)
• Switch: uses physical device address in each
incoming message to forward message to another
device on the same network
• Bridge: connects one LAN to another LAN that
uses the same telecommunications protocol
• Router: forwards data packets across two or
more distinct networks toward their destinations
through routing
• Gateway: serves as an entrance to another
network

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 Communications Software
• Network operating system (NOS):
systems software that controls computer
systems and devices on a network and
allows them to communicate with each
other
• Network-management software
– Monitors the use of individual computers
and shared hardware
– Scans for viruses
– Ensures compliance with software licenses
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 Telecommunications and
Network Applications
• Telecommunications and networks are a
vital part of today’s information systems
• In some industries, telecommunications is
virtually a requirement for doing business

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 Linking Personal Computers to
Mainframes and Networks

• Personal computers can be connected to

mainframe computers so that data can be
downloaded or uploaded
– Example: user can download a file from a
database to a personal computer
• Unattended systems: communications
software programs that instruct the computer
to connect to another computer on the
network, download or send information, and
then disconnect from the telecommunications
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 Summary
• Telecommunications: electronic transmission
of signals for communications, by such means
as telephone, radio, and television
• Guided transmission media types: twisted-pair
wire, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, and
broadband over power lines
• Wireless transmission types: microwave,
radio, and infrared
• Computer network: communications media,
devices, and software needed to connect two
or more computer systems and/or devices
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 Summary (continued)
• Network types: personal area network (PAN),
local area network (LAN), metropolitan area
network (MAN), wide area network (WAN),
international networks, and mesh networking
• Client/server systems: multiple computer
platforms dedicated to special functions such as
database management, printing,
communications, and program execution
• Communications protocol: set of rules that
governs the exchange of information over a
communications channel

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 Summary (continued)
• Examples of telecommunications and network
applications
– Linking personal computers to mainframes
and networks, voice mail, home and small
business networks, electronic document
distribution, call centers, telecommuting,
videoconferencing, electronic data
interchange, public network services,
electronic funds transfer, distance learning,
and team collaboration systems

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